Test Results

If you have been asked by your Doctor/Nurse to have a blood test/x-ray/ultrasound performed, the results will be sent back to your Doctor/Nurse for review. A large number of tests performed are due to monitoring purposes and require NO ACTION. To reduce the number of calls patients have to make to the surgery to enquire about their results, we will ONLY contact those patients whose results require some form of ACTION.If your results require NO ACTION we will not contact you. If you require a copy of your results for self-monitoring purposes, please request a copy in writing. In order to maintain confidentiality, results will only be given to the person to whom they refer, except for children under 16 years of age.

Results of most blood tests and urine/stool samples will usually be available within three to four working days. Scan and X-ray reports are usually available within ten days to two weeks after the test is performed. In some circumstances we will contact you regarding your result but it is up to the patient to contact the surgery for their result

Samples

You will have been given either a bottle with a white or red lid - this is for urine samples only or a bottle with a blue lid - this is a general bottle for stool or sputum. Urine, sputum and stool samples should be brought in a clearly labelled bottle with your name, date or birth, date and time of sample before 13:00. They are then collected and taken to the laboratory at East Surrey Hospital.

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

assess your general state of health

confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection

see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.

X-Ray

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.